Historic Atlanta mansion on Ponce gets a whimsical new life
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The venue can accommodate around 150 guests. Photos: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
A century-old mansion hidden behind a gate on busy Ponce de Leon Avenue has found a new life as an events venue.
Why it matters: Moon on Ponce reactivates a circa 1920 former inn, communal living space and short-term rental with ties to the Allman Brothers Band.
Zoom in: Husband-and-wife wedding planners Pat Maddox and Candace Marshall Maddox spent more than a year restoring and reimagining the property to create an eclectic and whimsical venue option for clients of their company, Smooth as Butter.
- That included hauling off roughly 25 dumpsters of junk and debris and converting outbuildings into spaces for brides, grooms and indoor parties or movies, Pat Maddox told Axios.
- The couple are marrying original architectural details with colorful rooms, unusual furniture and the occasional mosaic created by one of the house's many past occupants.
The intrigue: Workers unearthed several horseshoes while restoring a courtyard, raising the possibility that horses were once kept on the property. Two now decorate the mansion's exterior.
Catch up quick: The 7,000-square-foot home next door to the Yaarab Shriner's Center was once the Shady Rest Inn and later became an artistic commune and performance venue known as 368 Ponce, or The Big House.
- As many as 19 people lived on the property at one point, including in a bus, Pat Maddox said.
Fun fact: The property's owner, Flournoy Holmes, created classic album covers for the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band and Carole King.
State of play: Moon on Ponce is already hosting weddings, concerts and private parties for up to roughly 150 guests, even as work continues on the main house.
By the numbers: Nearly every Saturday in 2027 at Moon on Ponce is booked, Pat Maddox said, and 2028 is starting to also fill up.
What's next: Pat said he wants to largely complete renovations to the downstairs of the home by spring 2027.
- Future plans call for a glass atrium and ballroom, upstairs bridal suite, bedrooms and overnight accommodations.